Clara let out a soft laugh despite her pounding headache. "I don't feel so good either."
They both chuckled, and for a while, silence filled the room, the easy kind that comes with comfort. Clara sipped the drink and felt its warmth spread through her chest as they turned on the TV. A live performance played on a popular music channel, the sound low but enough to keep them company.
"Sweetheart, wait for me while I freshen up," she told him. "We can go down for breakfast together."
Axiel nodded eagerly.
By the time she showered and dressed, they still had fifteen minutes to spare before breakfast. They settled again on the couch, chatting idly. Axiel asked about her work, about her family, and whether she would meet his best friend Noah. She agreed, smiling at the way his face lit up.
When they finally headed downstairs, their voices carried ahead of them. They were still laughing over some silly joke when they entered the dining room, only to find everyone already seated.
"You two seem to be having a great time this early in the morning," Robert observed, his eyes shifting briefly from Clara to Axiel.
They exchanged a glance and laughed again, which seemed to soften the otherwise stiff breakfast table atmosphere.
As had become their routine, Axiel slid into the seat beside her. Clara reached for the dishes, putting Axiel's favorite foods on his plate whenever he showed an interest in something. The other adults exchanged quiet looks over their coffee cups.
Knives and forks moved softly against porcelain in an otherwise silent room.
It was a Sunday, Clara and Sofia's day out, so she excused herself after breakfast. Since coming back from Boston, Clara had made it a point to spend every Sunday with her younger sister, making up for the years they had lost. It had become their little ritual...coffee, a bookstore stop, and maybe a walk through the park if the weather was kind.
As Clara was lacing her boots, Axiel appeared at the doorway, his dark eyes bright with curiosity.
"Can I come with?" he asked hopefully.